59 National dialogue Preventing violations and improving the conditions for those deprived of their liberty are the top objectives of the NPM. A key tool in this work is maintaining a broad dialogue, exchanging information and cooperating with national authorities, civil society, supervisory bodies and other parties. Advisory committee The Act relating to and the Instructions for the Parliamentary Ombudsman stipulate the appointment of an advisory committee, which is to contribute expertise, information, advice and input to the NPM’s work.1 The committee was established in spring 2014 and comprises organisations with expertise in areas that are important to preventive work, such as human rights, children, equality and anti-discrimination, user experience from different sectors and knowledge about the conditions for inmates, patients and detainees etc. In 2015, four meetings of the advisory committee were held as planned. The meetings considered, among other things, the use of coercive measures in mental health care, the conditions at the police immigration detention centre at Trandum, and follow-up of the NPM’s visits and recommendations. The NPM has also given the members of the committee regular updates on its ongoing and planned work. The members of the committee have provided useful input to the NPM’s work, both at the meetings and in other contexts. The NPM has also asked individual committee members to prepare talks for several of the meetings on topics of interest to its work, in conjunction with the NPM’s competence-raising and preparations for forthcoming visits. These talks have provided a basis for discussions and input that have helped to strengthen the NPM’s work. The members of the advisory committee are: ››Norway’s National Institution for Human Rights ››The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman ››The Ombudsman for Children ››The Norwegian Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee ››The Norwegian Medical Association, represented by the Norwegian Psychiatric Association ››The Norwegian Psychological Association’s Human Rights Committee ››The Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) ››The Norwegian Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (NFU) ››Juss-Buss ››The Norwegian Federation of Organizations of Disabled People (FFO) ››We Shall Overcome ››The Norwegian Research Network on Coercion in Mental Health Care (TvangsForsk) ››The Norwegian Helsinki Committee ››The Norwegian Centre against Racism ››Amnesty International Norway Four meetings of the advisory committee are planned in 2016. 1 Section 3a of the Act relating to the Parliamentary Ombudsman and Section 8a of the Instructions for the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Public Administration.